Jury resumes deliberations in capital murder trial today

Updated 8:11 am, Thursday, June 12, 2014

Gregory Adam George, 29, was indicted this week for capital murder for shooting Jose Luis Morales in April.
Photo courtesy of Jefferson County

Gregory Adam George, 29, was indicted this week for capital murder for shooting Jose Luis Morales in April.
Photo courtesy of Jefferson County

Jury resumes deliberations in capital murder trial today

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Jurors in Greg Adam George's capital murder trial will resume deliberations this morning after more than three hours weighing the arguments Wednesday.

George, 32, is accused in the April 16, 2011, shooting death of 41-year-old Jose Luis Morales of Beaumont.

Morales was shot four times in the backyard of his Avenue E home.

If found guilty, George faces life in prison without the chance of parole.

Through the course of the two-day trial, jurors heard testimony from nine state witnesses, including Morales' widow and daughter, friend Jose Sanchez, who was also shot the same night, a neighbor, two friends of George, the police sergeant who investigated the case, the medical examiner and an expert FBI footprint examiner.

The defense did not call any witnesses.

In closing arguments, defense attorney James Makin called the case a "runaway train" and tried to discredit each witness the state put on the stand, saying their identification of George as the gunman shows the danger of IDs in chaotic situations. Makin said there is no evidence linking George to the shooting.

Countering that, prosecutor Pat Knauth said no witness who identified George as the gunman that night had anything to gain, especially Sanchez, who testified he saw the man's face as he held an empty gun to his head and pulled the trigger three times.

"He has more motive than anyone else to get the right guy," Knauth said. "You think he's going to get up here and lie? Not a chance in hell."

Knauth said the person who shot Morales is "a cold-blooded killer and those people don't stop."

"Hold him accountable," he told jurors. "Make an example out of him."

The Morales family would not comment on the testimony.

George's aunt, Delores Davis, said she believes the case is all about mistaken identity and that George remained positive while he awaited trial.

She admitted that George has been in trouble with police before and believes that played a role in why he was arrested for the crime.

"Once that happens, you can't get from under these people," she said.

Davis said her heart goes out to the Morales family, who she said suffered a great loss, and she prays for them daily.

"They want to get the right person, not just anybody," she said. "These people want the truth. I want to know who did this."